Some of the Changes and Challenges Facing the Church

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Rev.
Fr. Charles Joanides, Ph.D., LMFT

When social scientists compare contemporary young
adult dating and mating patterns with previous generations, they
discover that contemporary young adults are mixing more and intermarrying
more. Moreover, this finding clearly applies to Greek Orthodox
young adults, since statistics indicate that 60 - 80% of our young
adults choose to intermarry annually.

But how is one to interpret these statistical
trends? And how will these trends effect the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese's
future? Should we expect to face new challenges in our local churches,
and at the Diocesan and Archdiocesan levels as a result of these
trends? Are there adjustments that must be made? And what are
these adjustments?

Obviously a short article like this one can not
possibly address all these complex questions. Nevertheless, articles
like this one can begin facilitating and encouraging prayerful
discussion of the type that can guide us to some answers. It is
both hoped and anticipated that what follows will make a small
contribution in this direction: to God's glory and our salvation.

Meet
Sara and Danny

In the brief
conversation that follows, you will be introduced to a fictional
couple whom I shall call Sara and Danny. And even though this
couple is fictional, I assure you that the remarks offered below
are typical of numerous interfaith couples who attend our churches,
since the contents of this short exchange will be based on the
observations and descriptions of numerous couples who have participated
in the Interfaith Research Project (IRP).

Sara (27)
and Danny (26) have been married for several years. Sara is a
third generation Greek Orthodox Christian, while Danny was raised
Catholic, comes from a mixed Irish, Scottish, and Italian ethnic
background, and does not know how to determine which generation
he might be. Both would like children in the future, are well
educated, and will in all probability live a middle to upper-middle
class existence.

When asked
what compelled them to marry, both indicate that the primary factor
was their mutual love for one another. Sara is also quick to offer
the following observation: "It certainly wasn't like that
for my parents. I think there was more pressure on them to marry
a Greek. My mom's dad (my papou) was very insistent that she date
and marry a Greek."
Danny is familiar with this story and offers the following observation
without any objection from Sara. "Yeah, but that wasn't necessarily
true of your parents. I mean, they didn't really care that much."

Sara agrees,
and adds, "That's true, but I think way down deep somewhere
in their hearts they might have preferred that I marry a Greek.
But we never really discussed it, and I think my mom was determined
not to impose the same types of dating restrictions on me that
were imposed on her. Besides I think we both knew that pressure
wouldn't have worked."

Danny interrupts
and states, "Yeah, these are different times."

When the couple
is asked which church they attend, and why, Sara offers the following
remarks. "When we go to church, which is about once a month,
we generally go to my church. And the reason why is connected
to Danny's indifference to his religious background and my desire
to attend my family's church."

As this conversation
continues, Sara also observes that she probably attends the Greek
Orthodox Church for slightly different reasons then her parents.
She states that "I think my parents came because their parents
pressured them to come, and they kind of felt that that's where
Greek-Americans should worship. But I come because the liturgy
makes worshipping God easier. And even though I really don't understand
it very much, I like the incense, the familiar hymns, and icons,
because they make me feel close to God."

At this juncture
Danny is asked if he would like to add anything, and he says,
"Well, not really. I think what Sara has said pretty much
answered your questions."

Two
Brief Observations From this Conversation

First, social
science informs us that connections to the old country thin out
and weaken from one generation to the next. Moreover, a careful
examination of what was stated above appears to confirm this latter
point. While Sara has some connects to her ethnic background,
her remarks suggest that they are thinner and weaker then her
grandparents and parents ethnic connects. Moreover, while Danny
ethnic connections remain in the backdrop of this conversation,
one infers from his few comments that this is the case because
they are so thin and weak as to be indiscernible to him.

Second, social
scientists also suggest that as people's ethnic connects thin
out and weaken, the dominate American culture plays a greater
role in influencing who they are and how they see the world. While
there are no direct references that would serve to reinforce this
later point, there are plenty of indirect references. For example,
this couple's decision to intermarry is perhaps the strongest
evidence that their behavior and decisions are influenced more
by the dominant American culture then either of their ethnic backgrounds.

Some
Concluding Responses

Results from
the IRP suggest that past generations of Greek Orthodox Christians
attended services because the church met their ethnoreligious
needs. Present third, fourth, and fifth generations are less likely
to be connected to their Greek ethnic roots, and by extension,
may be less likely to attend as a result of their ethnic connections.

Results also
suggest that one of the factors, among others, that appears to
motivate third, fourth, and fifth generation Greek-American church
attendance is a need to meet certain religious and spiritual needs.
Furthermore, many of these types of faithful may be lacking in
knowledge of their Greek Orthodox faith tradition, but come because
it feels the most familiar and most comfortable way to worship.

And finally,
as a researcher who has tried to assume a "not knowing"
attitude of curiosity so as to avoid allowing my own biases to
contaminate the results that have been emerging from the IRP,
I have asked myself the following questions, and I conclude this
short article with these questions as a way to stimulate further
conversation about interfaith issues across our Archdiocese.

If
it is true that ties to the old country thin out and weaken
from one generation to the next, what factors will keep our
intermarried young adults connected to our churches?

If
our intermarried young adults are coming to our churches because
they feel the most comfortable with Greek Orthodoxy, but also
lack knowledge of their faith, how will this effect their children
and their children's children commitment to Greek Orthodoxy?

If
interfaith marriages are more then a passing trend, then what
adjustments should the Church be considering in its efforts
minister to a population of faithful whose ethnic ties are weaker
then previous generations?